The Dubious Link: Civic Engagement and DemocratizationStanford University Press, 2004 M06 2 - 312 pages It is often argued that civic activity, such as the participation of average citizens in voluntary associations, benefits all democracies. But sometimes the involvement of citizens contributes to the collapse of democracy, the exclusion of minorities, and the deepening of society's fragmentation. This book challenges the idea of a positive, universal connection between civil society and democracy, and argues that the specific context in which people organize shapes the character of civil society. The Dubious Link examines the "dark side" of civil society the cases in which the participation of average citizens leads to undemocratic results. Combining a variety of research methods, Ariel Armony looks at the vital sphere of associational life in pre-Nazi Germany, anti-desegregation movements in the United States, and new organizations for human and civil rights in democratic Argentina. The book concludes with a statistical analysis of the impact of civil society on a set of contemporary democracies. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 19 | |
Civil Societys Dark Side | 56 |
3 Association and Context in a Thirdwave Democracy | 104 |
4 Civic Engagement and Social Dysfunction | 141 |
5 A CrossNational Analysis | 177 |
6 Conclusion | 200 |
Notes | 225 |
References | 257 |
Index | 283 |
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accountability action activity agencies American analysis approach Argentina argued associations bills blacks Buenos Aires capacity changes Chapter citizens civic engagement civil rights civil society communities connection context contributed cooperation Councils created cultural demands democracy democratic discussion economic economic inequality effective employed examine example explained factors forces formal forms Germany greater Buenos Aires groups human rights ideas impact important included income increased individuals inequality influence institutions interaction interests involvement issues limited measure membership middle class movement Nazi networks organizations participation particularly parties patterns percent played police political positive practices Press problem produce promote question racial relations relationship response result role rule of law sectors shape shows social capital social trust specific sphere structure survey Table tion turn United University values victims viewed violence voluntary
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